Charles County school board votes to conduct community survey on renaming Indian Head Elementary

The Board of Education of Charles County voted Jan. 14 to direct the superintendent to conduct community outreach and a formal survey about whether Indian Head Elementary School should be renamed.

The board’s decision followed a presentation by Jack Tuttle, the system’s social studies content specialist, who summarized archival research and interviews about the origin of the town name. Tuttle told the board he found repeated historical map and archival references calling the place “Indian Head” or “Indian Headlands” and concluded “it was a foregone conclusion because the school was located in a town by the same name.” Superintendent Maria Navarro presented legal and procedural steps under board policy 7230 that would be required if the board chooses to proceed beyond the outreach phase.

Why it matters: The school’s name has been the subject of community debate since 2020, and the board’s action begins the formal, policy-prescribed process of listening to the local school community and documented stakeholders before any…